title: Molecular epidemiology of Clostridium difficile strains from nosocomial-acquired infections.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze isolates of Clostridium difficile from patients with nosocomial acquired infection in respect to their molecular type and antimicrobial susceptibility. Fifty-nine randomly selected clinical isolates were characterized. Molecular typing was performed by rep-PCR (DiversiLab). Isolates were tested by disk diffusion towards 11 different antibiotics. All isolates were susceptible to metronidazole and vancomycin. Fifty five (93 %) isolates were resistant to erythromycin and fifty six (95 %) exhibited resistance to both clindamycin and moxifloxacin. Twenty rep-PCR types were identified, but most clinical isolates formed four major rep-PCR clusters (A1 24/59, 40 %; A2 20/59, 33 %; A3 5/59, 8 %; A4 3/59, 5 %). These results show high genetic variability, which demonstrate clearly the complexity of the strains of C. difficile and also show an increasing rate of resistance to fluoroquinolones in our region emphasizing the importance of implementing surveillance programs in order to prevent further spread of resistance in C. difficile.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, P. le Spedali Civili, 1, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corbellini
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piccinelli
authors.forename: Maria Antonia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: De Francesco
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ravizzola
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonfanti
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D058889:Molecular Typing; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents